URBAN ENVIRONMENT AS A SYSTEM OF IMPRESSIONS AND IMAGES: ANALYSIS OF COMFORT THROUGH THE CITY'S APPEARANCE USING THE EXAMPLE OF ALMATY

Abstract

This study examines Almaty's urban environment as a system of impressions and images, using a comparative analysis of three streets: Dostyk Avenue, Raiymbek Batyr Avenue, and Navoi Street. The research is motivated by the need to clarify how different types of urban streets shape the city's architectural image, cultural identity, and visual perception. The study is based on a comparative urban analysis that combines morphological interpretation, visual-spatial analysis, field observations, photographic documentation, and an assessment of the historical, functional, environmental, and symbolic characteristics of the selected streets. A unified analytical framework was applied to evaluate historical-cultural significance, compositional integrity, functional diversity, pedestrian accessibility, greenery and environmental comfort, safety, symbolic expressiveness, and each street's contribution to Almaty's image. The results demonstrate that the three streets play different roles in the city's structure. Dostyk Avenue functions as the most compositionally coherent and culturally saturated urban axis; Raiymbek Batyr Avenue acts primarily as a transport corridor that retains important markers of historical memory but has weaker environmental cohesion; Navoi Street reveals considerable landscape and public-space potential, although its spatial structure remains fragmented and insufficiently integrated. The study shows that the image of Almaty is formed not by a uniform urban fabric but by the interaction of streets with different morphological, functional, and symbolic qualities. The findings may be used in urban planning and architectural practice to preserve urban identity, improve pedestrian and public spaces, and strengthen the visual and compositional coherence of the urban environment.